


Beer, Eveningwear, and Vampires

by spookyawards_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Medium Length
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-12-09
Updated: 2002-12-09
Packaged: 2019-04-27 05:42:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14418879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookyawards_archivist/pseuds/spookyawards_archivist
Summary: Mulder's ex-wife returns and is in immediate danger. Mulder is forced to make some choices between a life he used to have and the one he dreams of. Meanwhile, Scully deals with her own personal demons - jealousy and denial.





	Beer, Eveningwear, and Vampires

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Spooky Awards](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Spooky_Awards), and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2018. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [SpookyAwards' collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/spookyawards/profile).

 

Beer, Eveningwear, and Vampires

## Beer, Eveningwear, and Vampires

### by Caroline McKenna
    
    
         Title: Beer, Eveningwear, and Vampires
         Author: Caroline McKenna 
         Spoilers: Very minor spoilers for The Unnatural, Milagro, Fight the
         Future, Triangle, general 6th season.
         Teaser: Mulder's ex-wife returns and is in immediate danger. Mulder is
         forced to make some choices between a life he used to have and the one
         he dreams of. Meanwhile, Scully deals with her own personal demons-
         jealousy and denial. 
         Category: MSR, angst, slight Mulder/other
         Rated: PG-13
              Feedback: I LOVE feedback! Praise, flames, constructive criticism,
         whatever! 
         Disclaimer: I don't own them, I never will. They belong to Chris
         Carter, FOX, 1013 Productions, and I like to think they belong to GA
         and DD. They're not mine. Don't rub it in. Jenna McCloud, Patricia
         Phelan, Patrick Phelam, etc are my own characters. 
         Archiving: Yes, just tell me where you're taking it, and include my
         name and email
         Authors Note: I'm not quite sure where this fits in, exactly, but
         somewhere after The Unnatural, before Millennium . Also, this is a
         switching POV piece, and my first attempt at that. I'd like to know if
         it's too confusing. 
    

* * *

**FBI BUREAU OFFICE**

**WASHINGTON DC**

10:02 PM 

"I just don't understand, Mulder. What does The Planet of the Apes have to do with this case?" I glanced at the overhead, which displayed some rather violent scenes from the timeless classic, then at the material lying before me on my desk. It made no sense; there was no connection whatsoever. 

"It doesn't, I just liked the movie." My partner replaced the slide with something more practical. Or at least in his case. 

The Planet of the Apes had been replaced with scenes from Dracula. 

"Mulder," I groaned, rolling my eyes. 

"Well, think about it Scully. In each of these murder cases, the victim was found with two small punctures in the carotid artery. Also, all murders took place at night, hours before sunrise. And add this; each victim's significant other worked a night shift. I think it merits some vampire investigation." Leave it to Mulder, he was always coming up with wild theories to the simplest of cases. 

"Mulder, have you forgotten that the murders you're referring to happened all across the country. Pamela O'Dell was found dead last week in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, while Michael Calahan was found across the country in Carson City, Nevada. Melanie Graham lived in Connecticut, and Jonathan Mitchell was in North Dakota. There are no connections in these murders, Mulder." I hope I made my point clear. If it was any other agent, I wouldn't even be having this conversation. But, this was Mulder, and with him, you could always expect the unexpected. 

"I think they do, Scully. Can you tell me the cause of death for each victim?" He turned off the overhead, turning to me, awaiting my answer. 

I shuffled through the papers, now in my hands, until I found the autopsy reports for each unfortunate person. 

"All died of severe blood loss, secondary to asphyxiation." I eyed him suspiciously. Mulder was up to something. I almost wish I knew what. Almost but not quite. 

"And can you tell me where each was buried?" He was going somewhere with this. 

I hunted through the material again. 

"It says here that 2 days after each victim was found dead, the body was misplaced." I squirmed uncomfortably, shifting my weight from my right foot to my left. I didn't like where this conversation was leading. 

"The disappeared, Scully. Dropped off the face of the planet. Nobody's seen them since. Do you know anything about vampires?" He tilted his head slightly, sitting on top of his desk. 

"You mean besides the old folklore?" 

"I mean anything at all, Scully." 

I was afraid he'd say that. I struggled with the answer, debating with myself whether or not to play along and tell him what I know, or to be resistant and play dumb. I settled for somewhere in the middle. 

"Well, there's the old theory that they are warded off by garlic and crosses. They supposedly have fangs." 

"Supposedly?" Well, what was I supposed to say? If I had said 'indefinitely' Mulder would not only have been egged on, but turned on as well. He was strange that way. 

I didn't reply. That would have been possibly lethal for my dignity. 

"Are you aware of the link between every victim?" he asked. 

Again I remained silent. 

"Both Michael Calahan and Jonathan Mitchell were dating the same woman, a Patrice Phelan in the weeks before their deaths. Patrice is nowhere to be found." 

Now he had me, I was hooked. The case intrigued me, piquing my interest enough to keep me guessing. 

"What about the other two?" 

"Melanie Graham and Pamela O'Dell both were involved with the same man at the time of their deaths. Patrick 'Ricky' Phelam. Doesn't that strike you as interesting? Patrice Phelan and Patrick Phelam?" 

"Mulder! I can't...I can't... Good Lord, Mulder, not only are you suggesting that vampires killed these people, but transvestite vampires? Don't you think that's going a little over the edge?" 

Mulder looked at me guiltily, as if to say, "That's exactly what I mean." 

"Mulder!" 

"Just think about it, Scully. It makes perfect sense. Each victim had distinct bite marks on their necks, they all dated the same two people, AND their corpses disappeared. Did you know that if you are bitten by a vampire, you rise two days later as a vampire yourself?" 

I still can't believe he's actually saying this, but in some twisted way, it did make sense. 

"Okay, suppose, just suppose, that you were right. What would we do about it?" I sighed and sat heavily in my chair, rubbing my brow in frustration. I'm seriously considering this crazy theory of his. That thought scares the shit out of me. 

He considered for a moment. I could see Mulder pondering the possibilities, weighing the consequences of each one. 

"We do a background check for Patrice and Ricky, and see if either is intimately involved with someone. Then we find that person or persons and protect them. We can figure out any other details as we go along. As for the vampires, do you have any garlic in your cabinets, Scully?" 

Here we go again, diving into yet another X-File. 

"I'll take Ricky, you take Patrice. Get whatever information you can and meet me at my apartment in an hour and a half," I said, scooping up my things, and walking out of our basement office without waiting for a reply from my partner. 

Oh yeah, I am in deep. 

* * *

**1255 W ARGYLE ST**

**CHICAGO IL**

10:21 PM 

I paced anxiously in the front hall of my Chicago home, frequently glancing at the door, hoping against all hopes that he would arrive. I had been waiting for over an hour, and he still hadn't shown up. It irritates the hell out of me, but he's always late. That's just the way he is. 

I really shouldn't put up with his tardiness, and only God knows why I'm still waiting for him when I know he won't be here for another 45 minutes at least. But I always waited, just like he was always late, not to mention drunk when he eventually arrived. 

My mother wonders why I'm still with him, and half the time, I don't know, myself. I think I see something special in him, and Jenna McCloud is not a quitter. I never have been. 

Except in one case. It's always a shame to see a marriage go down the drain, but I'm afraid it couldn't be helped. The man was just so involved with his work that it was impossible for things to be worked out, so I booted town and mailed the divorce papers. Not one of my finer moves. 

Anyway, there I was, all dolled up in a tight blue dress, my blonde hair in gentle curls, waiting. 

It seems like a lot of my life has been spent waiting. Waiting for a promotion, waiting for the bus, waiting for summer to come so I can wait for fall. Maybe my life is wasting away by all this waiting, but maybe if I wait long enough, the things that I most long for will come to me. 

Minutes passed, the grandfather clock gently ticking them away. My pacing ceased due to the pain my high heels were causing my small, narrow feet. 

Finally, nearly an hour later, I gave up. It was almost 11:30, and I had work in the morning. God, I hate my job. I don't know why I ever went into advertising; it's totally wrong for my personality. Walking upstairs to go to bed, the doorbell rang. 

Turning on my heels, I raced downstairs, half of me furious and three quarters of me thrilled that he was finally here. 

The door opened before I could reach it, and in he stepped. Let me tell you now, he's gorgeous. 

Wisps of his coal black hair fell delicately into his angelic face. His baby blue eyes were somewhat cloudy, giving him that air of mystery that every girl wishes her boyfriend had. I got lucky, mine does. 

"Jenna, baby! How are you?" he asked, pulling me into his arms and kissing me soundly on the lips. 

I almost forgot his question. 

"I'd be better if you had shown up on time," I said coldly, trying desperately to be angry. I knew it wouldn't work, but I figured I'd try anyway. 

"I'm sorry, baby. Some guy down at the bar decided to pick a fight. The damn police officer kept me at the station for at least an hour before he let me go." 

"Are you okay? That guy didn't hurt you, did he?" My anger had evaporated, as I searched with my eyes his nearly perfect body for any sign of physical abuse. 

"I'm fine. I'll be better when we get to your room." He smiled at me, and a shiver ran up and down my spine. 

If there was one thing I didn't like about this man, it was his smile. There was something about it that just creeped me out. Maybe it was how cocky he looked when he showed his teeth, or maybe it was the fact that his canine teeth were a bit longer than a normal persons. I don't know. 

He motioned me upstairs, and I followed, slightly unsettled, but anxious just the same. 

And who knows, maybe he'll be early next time, or at least not so late. 

* * *

**SCULLY'S APARTMENT**

11:36 PM 

Mulder and I had gotten precisely nowhere. We sat on the couch in my apartment, pouring over the material we had uncovered. 

We found dental records, a pets rabies records, birth certificates, even grade-school honor roll awards. But nothing pertaining to any recent relationships. 

"Scully, we're not making any progress," he informed me, as if I didn't know. Tossing down his papers, he went to my PC, as though it were his own. 

I didn't mind, though. I never minded. It was just Mulder, after all, and my home, was his home. 

Not literally, of course. Mulder and I are just work associates, friends. Despite occasional thoughts to the contrary, we are not in any way romantically involved, nor will we ever be. 

Taking out my laptop, I pulled up my favorite Bureau search engine and continued my least favorite stage of investigation: the research. 

Even without looking up, I knew Mulder was doing the exact same thing. His dedication to our work was astounding, and I knew it was quite possible that he would be up all night, trying to find some scrap of a lead to grab a hold on. 

It must have been my lucky day, because the first search I attempted turned up the precise information we were seeking. 

"Mulder, look at this. I think I found something." I clicked the print button, and the pages were soon being spit out by the machine. 

Pulling out the papers, I began to read aloud. 

" 'Ricky Phelam, local author, to be wed next September. The lucky bride is New Yorker Jenna McCloud. The couple are currently residing in north Chicago with plans for a long and happy life together.' It's a portion from a newspaper article. It goes on to talk about Phelam's new book." I looked up from the material to see Mulder staring at me in wide-eyed shock. 

"What is it, Mulder?" I was concerned. Who wouldn't be? The expression on his face, was unlike any I had ever seen on my partner. 

"Who's the woman he's marrying?" His voice was somewhat shaky, as he spoke the words. 

"Jenna McCloud. Why? Does that name mean anything to you, Mulder?" 

He leaned back in the chair, and incredulous look on his face. He suddenly didn't look so good. His face had paled considerably, and beads of sweat appeared at his hairline. 

"Yes," he said slowly, turning his attention to me, "Jenna McCloud is my..." He paused, obviously shaken, "She's my ex-wife." 

I could have died of shock right there and then. Mulder? Married? It was almost unthinkable. Somehow, imagining Mulder standing at the alter in a tuxedo, awaiting a beautiful bride to share the rest of his life with struck me as odd, almost comical. 

I must have been staring, because Mulder prompted me to speak. 

"Say something, Scully." His voice was soft, almost pleading with me to allow for it to be true. 

"Wife?" Damn. I didn't want to come off sounding so petty. Not with Mulder, anyway. I tried to keep my voice neutral, not permitting myself to show any emotion whatsoever. 

"Uh, yeah. Ex-wife." He was looking down at his shoes, avoiding my eyes at all costs. He seemed ashamed, and maybe he should have been. Not for being married, but for not telling me. 

To be honest, it hurt. It hurt a lot. I thought I knew everything about him, but I guess one can ever totally understand Fox Mulder. 

"What happened?" Of course I wanted to know. I wanted to know everything, the whole story. Right now, the case didn't matter, only Mulder did. He was clearly hurting, and I had a duty both as a partner and friend to patch up the wound and kiss the boo-boo good bye. 

He came and sat next to me on the couch, leaning against the arm rest for support. 

"Jenna and I met in high school. I was a freshman, and she was a senior. She showed me the ropes, taught me what high school life was all about. Before I knew it, we were dating, among other things. She and I clicked immediately, which may have been part of the problem. I seem to get along better with women who are opposite me. Anyway, I was in way over my head. Jenna was four years older than I was, and in high school, that's a pretty big difference. I gave everything to her, my life, my soul, my strength. As soon as I graduated from high school, we got married. Much to my parent's disgust, Jenna and I eloped, so I could go right on to college. But, at Oxford, I discovered new things, things that held my interest, and she didn't like that." 

I didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know what Mulder was talking about. I had seen it enough myself. 

"The occult. That's what you found, the paranormal." 

He nodded, continuing. "So, I dove deeper and deeper into it, practically losing myself. Between my schooling and studying of the occult at night, I had no time for my new wife. I refused to make time, too, because I was always on the verge of something. Always so close to the truth. Later that year we divorced. It was a mutual decision, or so I told myself at the time. Actually, though, it was my fault, and I knew it. I drove her away. I was no longer in love with her, and I know she wasn't in love with me. Sometimes I wonder if she ever was." 

His head hung low, more vulnerable than I had ever seen him. It must have been pure hell, going through that kind of pain so young. 

"Oh, Mulder." Remembering all of the times he held me when I was down, I moved closer to him, wrapping him in my arms. 

I ran my fingers through his chestnut brown hair, holding him tightly. 

"Mulder, I'm so sorry." I didn't know what else to say, and for the first time in a long while, I was at a loss for words. 

"It's not your fault, Scully. She should have left me, I was a total jerk." 

Uh-oh. I could see exactly where he was going with this. To Blame-City. Definitely not a good road to take. I knew because I had been down that road far too many times. 

"Don't blame yourself, Mulder. You were young. She was older. I know how dedicated you are, and that's one of the I love about you. Jenna McCloud must have been pretty stupid to leave you without realizing what an amazing person you are." 

Okay, I was going out on one pretty big limb there, with the use of the infamous "L" word, not to mention the showering of praise I administered. But right now, Mulder could use some showering, if you don't mind my phrasing. 

He remained silent and still, but something in him relaxed. I think the "L" word helped a little. 

"Thanks, Scully, but you don't need to defend me. I know I messed up. But maybe I needed to. Think about it. If I had had more sense, and treated Jenna better, I might not have joined the FBI. If I hadn't joined the FBI, I wouldn't have met you, and if I hadn't met you, I wouldn't be half the person I am today. If I hadn't met you, there is so much I would have missed out on. So much neither of us have bothered to think about." 

I was still holding him, hardly even realizing my hand stroking his cheek. 

"Right, think positive." 

He looked down at me and I flashed him a rare Scully-smile, reassuring him that I was here, and would always be here, unlike a certain ex-wife that I already disliked. 

"Scully," he whispered my name, and my heartbeat quickened. "I, I... you..." 

I wish he'd just say it already, so I can kiss his face without feeling like cheating scum. It's not that hard to say those three little words. Well, considering I haven't said those three little words to him, maybe it isn't so easy. He did, once. I, being myself, blew him off. 

We were in the hospital-- I swear, half my life's been spent in a hospital-- and Mulder had just returned from a rather perilous trip to the Bermuda Triangle. He was so high on the medicine, he should have been floating ten feet above his bed. I can still remember our conversation. 

//Scully?// 

//Yes?// 

//I love you.// 

//Oh brother.// 

Yeah, that's me, the "Oh, brother" girl. I still regret that. 

"I, uh, I think we need to get back to work. We have a case to solve." The moment was lost; the spark gone. All business Mulder was back and ready for action. 

Well then, if he can be so professional, so can I. 

"Okay. I think you need to stay here on this one, Mulder. I'll go to Chicago while you investigate that Patricia lady. Or man. Vampire, whatever." I shook my head, and he moved out of my arms, resuming his position at the end of the couch. 

"No, Scully. I need to go. This isn't just about vampires anymore. Now it's about personal demons, and I need to face up to mine." 

I saw right through that. If anyone knew Mulder, it was me, and since I know him as well as I do, I know exactly what he has planned. 

"You wanna make her jealous, huh?" 

"Oh yeah, big time." He smiled at me, that heart melting smile that makes my knees go weak. I'm just glad I was sitting down. That's my Mulder for you; so contradictory. 

"The usual? Bring out the badge, the gun, the checkbook, and the girlfriend?" That was the standard after all, for making your ex feel like shit for leaving you. Except for maybe the gun; then they might feel threatened. Bonus. 

"Exactly, except for one minor detail. I don't have a girlfriend." His face fell. 

It wasn't as though Mulder couldn't get a girlfriend, no sir. He's about as handsome as they get, so definitely eye candy. The only problem with Mulder is, that he gets so involved with his work that he forgets about the other things in life. He needs someone equally obsessed with his work, which will be one extremely difficult woman to find. 

What the hell! He needed help. Special Agent Dana Scully to the rescue! 

"Oh. Listen, if you need someone to pose as one, I'd..." 

"Thanks, Scully." He wrapped me in a bear hug, which I was quite glad to accept. 

"Anytime. Now, lets get thinking. What are we going to do to apprehend the suspect? And do we even have enough evidence for an arrest warrant?" 

Back to work we went. 

* * *

**O'HARE AIRPORT**

**TERMINAL 13A**

**CHICAGO IL**

3:15 AM 

"Now, we are clear on this, aren't we Scully?" he asked me for what must have been the millionth time since our plane touched down. 

"Yes, Mulder," I replied for the millionth time. 

"Do you have your garlic, cross, and stake?" 

"Yes, Mulder." 

"Good. And it's not Mulder anymore, remember? My name is Fox." My heart leapt and I almost burst out laughing. I had been strictly forbidden to even mention his first name, since the day we met. 

"Yes FOX," I teased, heading over to fetch my luggage. 

"Do you have the address?" His voice remained tentative every time we were forced to mention his ex. She had really hurt him more than I think even he realized. 

"Yeah. 1255 West Argyle Street. It's near Wrigley Field." I knew that would catch his attention. Mulder was a baseball nut and little did he know, I had tickets to watch the Cubs- Dodgers game this week. He needed cheering up, and it was all a friend could do. Besides, thanks to Mulder, I have recently learned how to play baseball. 

But all I got from him was a very noncommittal "Oh." 

Slipping my hand in his, we walked towards the door. 

After passing several metal detectors, and each time having to remove our handguns and show our ID. Being in the FBI had its advantages. 

We spoke hardly a word in the taxi, only about who was going to pay the driver the twenty-something dollars we owed him. 

We dropped our luggage off at the hotel, hailed another cab, and continued on our way. 

I could tell how uneasy Mulder was. I would be too, in his situation, so I could understand, at least to some degree. Our silence remained a comfortable one, until we pulled up to our destination. Beside me, I could see him tense up. He sat up straighter, and every muscle in his body tightened. 

It didn't help that it was nearing 3:30 in the morning, and most of the city of Chicago was fast asleep. 

"C'mon, Fox." After paying the driver, we stepped out of our separate sides of the car and took a moment to take in the grandeur of the old home. 

The house must have been 100 years old if it was a day, and the 19th century architecture showed that much. It was of immense proportions and with the house's every story there was sure to be a legacy. Painting was needed, as its gray coat was gradually peeling, and it wouldn't be long until gray flakes dusted the ground like snowflakes in winter. 

It towered above us, making me feel much shorter than I already am. The house gave off an almost eerie atmosphere, especially in pitch black. 

"Boo," Mulder whispered, pushing me forward into the blackness. 

I hid my smile from him. Wouldn't want him to see how happy I am. For some reason unknown to me, I am deliriously giddy. It's probably from the airplane. Flying tends to do that to me. 

"Come on, Muld... Fox. We have business here." 

Defiantly, I strode up to the houses' doorstep, pressing in the doorbell, and listening to it ring. Mulder stood beside me, grasping my hand with the death grip. 

I could hear a person inside, padding around, aimlessly searching for the door. The lock clicked and the door swung open, revealing a tall, leggy blonde woman. Even tousled by sleep, she was gorgeous. My mouth dropped open, a wave of panic and jealousy hitting me in the face. I had always thought of myself as pretty, but I looked like a drowned rat compared to Mulder's ex. 

"Hello," I said, remembering the reason for our visit, "I'm Special Agent Dana Scully and this is my partner, Fox. We're from the FBI." I took out my badge and waved it in her face. For some reason, I felt compelled to try to one-up this woman. For a reason I wouldn't want to admit, even to myself. 

I saw Jenna McCloud's eyes widen when she saw Mulder, and I stood protectively in front of him. 

"We have reason to believe that you are in mortal danger. May we come in?" 

Right then I knew I would be mostly on my own with this case. Mulder's professionalism would be lost due to an old lover. It wouldn't be the first time, either. Phoebe Green, Diana Fowley, Doctor Bambi... need I say more? 

Silently, and not taking her eyes of my partner, she opened the door for us. Mulder's hand remained on the small of my back; a place that he had long since claimed for his own, as we walked through the doorway. 

Wiping the sleep from her eyes Jenna directed us to her living room, and she sat herself in a chair, opposite the loveseat where Mulder and I resigned. Purposefully, we sat close; closer than we normally would. 

"Now, Miss McCloud, does the name Patrick Phelam mean anything to you?" Her eyes narrowed when I mentioned her fiance's name. 

"Yes, he's my fiance." 

"We believe that he is connected to two murders and may be conspiring in two other killings. You may be next," Mulder finally spoke, strongly and confidently, but leaning on my slightly for support. 

"Mulder?" Talk about dumb blonde. It took her that long to realize that her ex-husband was in her home. With me. 

"Yes, Jenna. It's me. How have you been?" His expression was stony, but his grip on my hand tightened. He was facing his personal demons this very moment, and I couldn't help but be honored to fight his battles with him. 

"I've been fine. How are you? You look happy." She glanced pointedly at me, her mouth drawn into a firm line. 

"I am, we are. I've joined the FBI, and Dana and I have the highest solve rate in the Bureau." 

"I guess it helps that we really get along." Just for fun, I winked at him, making sure Jenna saw it. "Anyway, I'm sure it's lovely for you two to catch up, but we do have a job here. Jenna, we believe you're in danger, but there is one thing my partner forgot to mention. We believe your fiance is a vampire." I felt Mulder's eyes boring into me, amazed at the words that had just come out of my mouth. Personally, I surprised myself, but I wouldn't share that with my partner. 

"Excuse me?" 

"Yes, Dana's right. Patrick is a vampire and we advise you to..." 

"Stay away from him at all costs." I completed his sentence, receiving a harsh glare from a certain Jenna McCloud. I was loving this! My own little demon, jealousy was winning me over, but at this point, I didn't care. 

"Now, we reserved a room for you at the Hilton, where we're staying. Pack a few things, not much, just enough to last a couple of days. Hurry up, and Fox and I will hail a taxi." I jumped up pulling Mulder with me, a big grin on my face. Mulder's smile matched mine, and as soon as we exited the house, we simultaneously burst into laughter. 

"She totally bought it!" I squealed with delight; not something I do very often. 

"Only because we're such good actors." He danced around a little on the lawn, happier than I'd seen him since we'd been assigned the case. Even before that, I suppose. 

"Oh yeah, FOX, you know it!" 

"C'mon, DANA, let's get a cab." 

* * *

**CHICAGO'S HILTON HOTEL**

**ROOM 568**

4:18 AM 

I flopped onto the double bed, exhausted, but thoroughly content. Our bags were in our respective corners of the room, and you could already tell who's things were whose. While my clothing was packed neatly into two suitcases, both small and standing nicely against the wall, Mulder's attire was simply thrown into whatever bag was available. In this case, Mulder had packed his items in a medium sized Disney suitcase, with colorful pictures of Mickey, Goofy, Donald Duck, and the rest of the cartoon gang. 

Mulder slumped onto the bed as well, and I was jolted to a sitting position. Part out of shock, part due to the weight of another body on the small bed. 

Well, it's not that the bed was small, exactly- plenty enough room for two people- just that it was smaller than I'm used to. At home, I have a queen sized bed, so anything other seems strange. 

"What is it, Scully? A little squeamish?" Hell yeah. 

"When I volunteered for this job, this wasn't in the contract." I looked around the room, only to confirm what I already knew. This was the only bed. 

"Well, where am I supposed to sleep then, if Your Royal Highness gets the bed?" I smiled and lay back down. 

"Fine. But don't touch me. I have a licensed fire arm, and I do know how to use it." 

"Oh, I know. Believe me, I've seen you shoot." He smiled, as did I. 

Quickly, I went into the bathroom and changed into my silky blue pajamas, and when I returned to the bedroom, I flicked the light-switch and climbed back into bed, still unnerved by Mulder's presence. 

I climbed under the covers, closing my eyes, ready at last for a dreamless sleep. 

* * *

**CHICAGO'S HILTON HOTEL**

**ROOM 568**

9:23 AM 

Waking up brought one of the biggest shocks I think I've ever experienced. 

I was in Mulder's arms. 

Yes, I was, and it shocked me, since I had absolutely no recollection of how I got there, or when, or why. I had millions of questions, but answers were nowhere to be found. Except in Mulder's sleeping state. 

I was certain that the answers to all the universe lay with Mulder at that moment. 

I dared not stir, for fear of waking him, but I did sigh slightly, more satisfied than I had been in longer than I care to remember. As life may have it, my partner chose that moment to awake, that moment of pure serenity to rouse from a sleep so deep that a whale could have swum in it. My guard was down, I'll admit it, I was more exposed emotionally than I ever wanted to be, particularly in Mulder's company. 

"Morning, Scully," he said, evidently unfazed by our current surroundings. He made no attempt to remove his arms from around my body, and I began to wonder if this setup had a purpose. 

"Hi, Mulder. Uh, what is this?" I motioned vaguely to this situation, and he just shrugged it off. 

"I dunno. You just kind of rolled over in the middle of the night into my arms. You can't blame me on this one, Scully, my dear. This was all your doing." He smirked, a little embarrassment showing through his delicately woven mask of a cool exterior. 

"Oh. Sorry." I rolled away quickly, feeling the blush rise to my cheeks. I bowed my head, allowing my hair to drape in front of my face to hide the sudden bout of color. 

"We should get dressed," I continued, "and then go check on Jenna, make sure she's all right." I climbed out of bed, Mulder doing the same. Only then did I see that the sole thing he was wearing was a pair of black boxers. Turning around before I had a chance to take a more in-depth look at my partner, I headed once more for the bathroom, stopping to grab a skirt, blouse, and underwear from my suitcase. 

This isn't a frequency with Mulder and I. Hell, we never do this kind of thing. And I mean never. Well, almost. Anyway, it isn't normal for me to feel this way about him. We always get separate hotel rooms, we always keep a safe distance from each other, so this kind of thing wouldn't happen. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it, but it's a guilty pleasure that I entitle myself very seldom. 

So if this isn't what it appears, why am I standing in the hotel bathroom, my heart racing wildly, and my pulse throbbing like a teenagers? It doesn't make sense. None of it makes sense. I have no idea why I volunteered to help Mulder by pretending to be his honey. At the time, I just felt sorry for him, but now I wonder if there was another ulterior motive. Like wanting to be with him, in his arms. This feeling, it doesn't make sense either. I can hardly describe it, it's so powerful. 

Right now though, I don't want to contemplate my feelings for Mulder, I only want to get dressed and on with the case. 

As I undress, I keep having to remind myself that the reason we are here is because of this case, because of Mulder's vampires and vampire conspiracy theory. It's taking more and more self-control and professionalism to keep my mind focused on that goal, and that goal only. 

There was a knock on the door several minutes later. I was just getting out of the shower. "You almost done, Scully?" It was Mulder, of course. Who else would it be? 

"Well, I still have to blow-dry my hair and then get dressed and put on my makeup. Give me two hours." Normally, I don't go this far, with the whole personal appearance thing, but it was a whole other ballgame when a tall leggy blonde, known as Mulder's ex, was in the field. I felt like I had to look my best, just to show her up, or at least try to. 

"Two hours, Scully? I doubt the vampires care very much about how you look." There was a pause and then I think Mulder understood. The territorial thing. "Don't worry about Jenna, Scull. She doesn't care." 

"Well, I do care, Mulder. Why don't you go on without me. I'll meet you at the Empire State Building around noon." I was towel drying my hair. That might exempt for the ditzy behavior on my part. 

"We could try that, Scully, but the Empire State Building is in New York. Do you think you could have your hair done by the time you would need to catch a flight? I'll meet you at the Lincoln Park Zoo entrance. We can have lunch and then do the zoo thing, if you want." I did want, but he needn't know that. 

"We're on a case, Mulder, we can't just drop everything to go look at the monkeys." 

"I thought that we could check out the bat house. I figure since it'll be the middle of the day and we have no chance of catching this guy in his semi-human form, we could look and see if there are any suspicious looking bats." He was totally serious about this. Not a crack of a smile, or any other feature that would detect wayward emotion. 

"Are you suggesting, Mulder, that we interrogate bats? That's just insane." I pulled out my travel blow-dryer and curling iron, and plugged them both in. 

He knocked. I had forgotten that he was still on the other side of the door, 

"Can I come in? I find it easier to talk to people than doors." Making sure my robe was tied tight enough, I opened the door, letting him inside the small bathroom. 

"Thanks. What I'm saying, is that we go to the zoo, look at the vampire bats, and make note of any one resembling this." He drew out a picture of the suspect for me took look at, as if I hadn't seen it a thousand times already. 

The one distinct feature about Ricky Phelam was a scar across his forehead. It was jagged and roughly resembled a lopsided star. The scar made one wonder what this man's life had been like, what caused the scar. Was it an old girlfriend who threw an iron, or maybe a childhood mark from falling off of a trampoline? Or was it the general mark of a malicious blood sucking vampire? 

"So we go looking for bats with stars on their heads, is that it?" I already knew that my arguments were lost, that we would end up at the zoo, inspecting every flying mammal in the whole damn place. 

"Exactly." He walked out, leaving me to my personal hygiene. 

* * *

**CHICAGO'S HILTON HOTEL**

**ROOM 570**

10:43 AM 

I knocked gently on her door, almost regretting leaving Scully behind. She's my rock. 

It's funny, I never think of her that way. As a rock. But it's true. She anchors me to reality, holds my sanity in her pocket. I don't think I've ever thanked her for that. What have I thanked her for? 

Jenna opened the door, giving me the once over. I'm not sure what there was to look at, I was wearing my regular suit and tie, but she seemed fascinated. 

"Come in, Mulder. Where's Agent Scully?" She looked over my shoulder, probably half expecting to see Scully hanging on my ass. No such luck, however, for either of us. 

"Dana had to prepare some things for our case. We're going to meet up with her later." Jenna's face fell when I spoke my last sentence. This jealousy mission was unquestionably working. 

"Oh, good." Of course, the look on her face showed that Jenna thought it was anything but 'good.' I grinned a huge Cheshire-Cat grin, only part of which was fake. 

"Now, I'd like to explain a little before things get too out of hand." I was interrupted. 

"Explain about why I'm in danger, or about your relationship with Agent Scully?" Her voice was bitter and cold, as though she wanted me to be unhappy without her. Not that being with Scully, made me ecstatic, but I guess it would seem that way to an outsider looking in. 

"We can discuss both, if you like. But first, we're talking about the case. Within the last six months, there have been four similar murders. Patrick Phelam is a suspect for at least two, if not all four of them. He was previously involved with Melanie Graham, the second victim, who was killed about 3 months ago, and Pamela O'Dell, the most recent victim, killed last week. He had steadily dated each of them in the weeks before their death. He even married Melanie Graham. Dana and I believe that you are his next target." 

"He couldn't have killed that last girl. He was seeing me, remember?" I almost felt sorry for her, the woman was so nave. 

"Well, Jenna, as you of all people know, that the world of love is not always honest or fair." Okay, I know I was being snippety and hypocritical but right then, I didn't give a rip. 

She had no response to that, I didn't think she would. 

"Anyway, due to the evidence we collected, Dana and I believe that Ricky may be a vampire. Before you snub that away like you do most things, you need to hear the proof. In each of the victims, two identical bite marks in the neck were found. Also, the cause of death for all was severe blood loss, secondary to asphyxiation, typical of vampire deaths. Then, two days after each one died, the bodies disappeared from the morgue refrigerators. After bitten by a vampire, the person bitten rises, claiming vampire form two days after the actual bite." 

I was not short of evidence, nohow, plus Scully and I had rehearsed this on the plane into Chicago. Okay, I cheat, so sue me. 

"And you think that Ricky is a bloodsucker?" 

Didn't she hear me the first time? I said that already. I wonder why I married this woman in the first place. Her IQ must be lower than that of butter. 

"Yes. We. Do." I spoke slowly, hoping that my words might sink in some. 

"Look, Mulder, I'm not stupid." When I scoffed, she glared at me and continued, "Maybe I'm not as brainy as your precious Dana, but at least I don't look like yesterday's trash." 

As dumb as she is, Jenna knows how to diss. And how to make me furious, 

"Don't talk about Scully like that. You may not think so, but Dana Katherine Scully is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. She's intelligent, thoughtful, compassionate, intellectual, rational, and gorgeous. So many things that you could never be. But, I would hope you're better than petty jealousy, so get over it. I'm with Dana now, and I'm happier than ever." 

I almost fell over when I absorbed my own words, only then seeing the honest to God truth in them. Scully was beautiful, and all of the things I said. I had known that for a long time, but it took a haunting past for the words to form. 

"Fine then, what made you think I cared?" By now, I was ready to strangle the woman myself, either that or just let the vampire do it's job. 

"Jenna!" I was so exasperated that I couldn't say anything more. 

I guess my exasperation went over her head, because before I knew it, the blonde was sitting directly on my lap, her face only inches from mine. 

"Oh, Mulder." She pressed her mouth against mine, kissing me senseless. 

Scully chose that moment to walk in. "Hey, Fox..." She stopped dead in her tracks. 

I pushed Jenna off of me, spitting out the taste of her. That was surely not what I had expected from the ex-wife who left me so many years ago. 

"Scully!" I saw tears welling up in her eyes and her face reddened extremely fast. I wonder how long she practiced that little trick. 

She stormed out of the room, running across the hall into our room. Our room. Talk about dramatic irony. 

I ran after her, almost as confused as Scully herself must have been. 

"Scully!" I looked around the room, seeing my partner nowhere. "Hey Scully?" 

She stepped out of the bathroom, tears still coursing down her cheeks. "I didn't know you were such a good actress, Scully." 

At that point, my IQ was lower than even Jenna's. How insensitive could I be, not to mention ignorant? She was genuinely upset, sincerely hurt. Hurt by me. Her tears were real, not some fabrication by a soap opera star, but real tears from Dana Scully. That was not a sight I saw often, nor was it one that I enjoyed seeing. 

I hate being put on the defensive, but there I was, on the witness stand, defending my position. 

"She kissed me, Scully, I had nothing to do with it." She sat on the bed, looking at me coldly, her eyes saying that she didn't believe me. 

"Please, Scully, you have to understand." 

"Do I? Understand what? That you just came here to get back with your ex and make a fool of me at the same time? Well, congratulations, you killed two birds with one stone." 

Normally I enjoyed flinging around clichs like so with my partner, but not now, not like this. 

"God, Scully, it wasn't like that at all. She jumped me, I swear. We were talking about you and then she moved onto my lap and kissed me before I knew what was happening." 

I sat next to her, and she scooted away from me. I can't tell you how depressing that is. 

"But you didn't pull away, did you Mulder? And you were talking about me? With her? I'll bet she was trying to get you to break up with me or something, which is pretty funny, since we never went out in the first place." Her voice was harsh, but her eyes relayed a pain that struck me where it mattered. 

"I'm not going to lie to you, Scully. She was. But you know what, I wouldn't let her say the kind of shit she was trying to pull on me. Look at me." I moved toward her, turning her shoulders so she would face me. "She said you were plain, I said you were gorgeous. She insulted your intelligence, I couldn't even dignify that with an answer. And you know what I realized, Scully? That I wasn't saying those things because we were playing stage. I was saying them because they were true. They are true." 

I thought she was going to melt into my arms right then. The look in her eyes certainly confirmed my deliberations. 

But she didn't melt, she fainted, with a bullet hole in her lower back. 

* * *

**CHICAGO HOPE HOSPITAL**

11:07 AM 

"No, you don't understand, you have to let me in with her!" I pleaded to the doctors rushing Scully into the ER. There were three of them crowded around her body, pushing the stretcher down the hall. I walked with them, keeping pace, while they swatted me away. 

"I'm sorry, sir. You can't go any farther." A nurse, dressed in blue scrubs blocked my way. 

"No, I don't think you understand. I need to be with her." I tried to push passed her, but this woman was big, and not budging anytime soon. 

"Are you a relative?" Her voice was stern, unforgiving. 

"No, but..." 

"Are you her husband?" Okay, I know it's just procedure, but for some reason, that question bothered me. It irked the hell out of me and I don't know why. 

"Um, not really." 

"Then go into the waiting room. The doctor will keep you posted." 

"No!" I hollered, many of the hospital's occupants turning to me. "I will not just wait around. I've spent too much of my life waiting. But this isn't about me, it's about her, and I need to be with her. Look, like I told the front desk, I'm a federal agent, and that woman," I pointed to Scully, "is my partner." I pulled out my badge, letting her take a good look at it. 

The woman, Nurse Evans (I read the little name tag), moved aside, her eyes going to the bulge at my hip, where my gun holster rested. Oh yeah, sometimes I really love the FBI. 

I caught up with the group of doctors and Scully's stretcher. 

"How is she?" I asked, increasingly concerned. 

"Still unconscious, low BP. Blood flow is under control. As far as we can see, no major organs were affected. Can you tell us what happened?" It crossed my mind for the first time since she'd been shot. What did happen? 

"I, I don't know. We were talking in our hotel room, and she just... fell into my arms. I didn't even hear a shot." 

I was too wrapped up in her to hear much of anything though. 

"We're taking her into surgery now, Mr...." 

"Mulder." 

"You'll have to go in the waiting room and fill out some forms." 

I gave up. Kissing Scully's forehead, I turned and walked into the waiting room. 

* * *

**CHICAGO HOPE HOSPITAL**

**RECOVERY ROOM 843**

2:04 AM 

I woke to find Mulder's smiling face only inches away from my own, his breath mixing with mine. 

"Hey, Dana." Oh, my first name. I glanced over his should to see if Jenna was there. But she wasn't, and he was using my first name anyway. Always a good sign. 

I sat up, my head spinning incredibly fast. Mulder steadied me with his arms on my shoulders, and I nodded in thanks. 

"Hi Mulder." Nothing made sense. "Mulder, what happened?" 

"You were shot." 

"By who? Did you catch him? What was his motive? Is he in a gang?" 

"Whoa, Scully slow down." 

I was still trying to process everything, put the pieces together, and to be honest, it really wasn't working. Why couldn't I remember? 

Mulder sat next to me on the bed, taking my hand in his. "Don't try to do too much too fast, Scully. The doctors say that you'll be alright in a couple of weeks. But until then, it's strict bed rest, young lady." He tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear, letting his hand linger at my cheek. "And I mean it. I don't want to lose you." Mr. Vulnerable tells all. 

Okay, Dana, keep your cool. I had to tell myself over and over that very thing until my heart rate returned to normal. How does Mulder do this to me? It's maddening. 

"You know me, Mulder. If I can get two weeks off of work to spend lying in bed, eating ice cream, and watching Superstars of the Superbowl, I'll take full advantage of it." 

"You'll hate it." 

"Oh yeah." He did know me, very well, almost better than I know myself. 

I smiled at him, a luxurious Scully-grin, one that I save only for Mulder, and only allow myself to form every so often. He smiled back, squeezing my hand. 

"What about Jenna? And Ricky? And the case?" 

"Don't worry about that. I'll take care of this. While I was in the waiting room, Jenna called. She said she had a date with our suspect tonight. I thought if you were up to it, we'd hitch along. Make it a double, then arrest Ricky Phelam for double, possibly quadruple murder, not to mention the attempt at you," he said. 

"I thought I was supposed to have bed rest for the next two weeks." 

Actually, I really didn't care about what the doctor said. Throw some pain medication in me, and set me loose. Being a doctor myself, means that I know what's best for me, and right now, I just need to solve this case and stop feeling so helpless. 

"We can sneak out tonight. Skinner's paying for the cab." That's my Mulder. Always riding that fine line between right and wrong. 

"Skinner's here?" The assistant director normally was when we were in trouble, but I didn't expect him to be here. There was some legal trouble down at the Bureau and Skinner had to take keep it under wraps. 

"Yeah, he took the soonest flight once he heard that you'd been shot." He wasn't pushing me, and I knew that Mulder wouldn't. He was too much of a gentleman. 

"I'm ready to go, Mulder. I just need some pain killer for the road." 

He held up a bottle of prescription pills, already prepared. 

Mulder helped me to my feet, and I was surprised to find myself feeling so good. Well, it could be that his arms were around me holding me tight. 

I still can't believe he manages to do this to me, reduce me to a... a woman, I guess. I never thought about it that way, but when I'm with him, like this, no longer am I the hard-core FBI agent that I so pride myself on. I'm just a woman, a person, a friend. Unless of course, we were discussing a case, which we so often are. Then it's back to the strict professional. I'm not quite sure if that's a good or bad thing. 

"You okay, Scully?" he asked me. Even though I was standing quite balanced, his arm still draped around my shoulder. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. One question, though. What are we supposed to do until our date with the devil tomorrow night?" I replied. 

"We go back to the hotel, do the sleep thing. Then tomorrow, well, I wasn't sure about tomorrow. How do you feel about staring at monkeys?" 

He took a little stuffed monkey out of his pocket and handed it to me. I couldn't believe it. Mulder was constantly surprising me, and this was no different. 

"Like I said, I had some extra time while you were in surgery. There's a little gift shop around the corner. I saw it and thought of you." 

I think I must have been staring, because I felt him wipe the metaphorical drool off my chin. 

"Thanks Mulder. He's adorable!" 

And he really was, that chestnut brown fur, and piercing hazel eyes that just held my rapt attention whenever he looked at me. And his body was so hard and incredibly sexy that I couldn't resist looking at it. 

Oh shit, thinking about the wrong things. 

Somehow, we made it out of the hospital and into the cab without the nursing personnel noticing my disappearance. I'm not quite sure how, exactly, but we did. Leave it to Mulder, that ingenious son of a bitch. 

After AD Skinner was sure that I would be fine, he let us enter the hotel, with wishes of a goodnights' sleep. 

Needless to say, Mulder and I were both exhausted, although for different reasons. He because he was emotionally drained, worrying about me, and I was tired because of my physical injuries. 

We went right to sleep, neither of us noticing when we fell into each others arms. 

* * *

**LINCOLN PARK ZOO**

**CHICAGO, IL**

10:47 AM 

Scully and I had taken yet another taxi to the zoo's gates, where we planned to spend the day. Jenna was with us, of course, and was complaining the whole time. "Why did we have to go to the zoo? She shouldn't be out of bed. Why does she always get what she wants?" 

My ex did not like Scully much, which seemed to be perfectly okay with her, because my partner's feelings were mutual. The two women could have glared at each other all livelong day if I had let them. 

I must say, I found it quite amusing, the silent feud over me. Or at least I think that's what it's over. I hope, since I have a feeling Scully's winning. 

"Come on, girls, we have some bats to check out." 

Our primary mission was to look for vampires in the house of bats. Not thrilling, I'll admit, but at least it was something to do. 

Scully walked a little slower than Jenna, due to the gaping hole in her lower back. I told her before we left that if she felt dizzy or anything that we could stop, return to the hotel, and watch old Star Trek reruns. Scully will be fine. 

She held my hand as we walked, shooting triumphant little glances at Jenna every time we turned a corner. Her hand was warm in mine, and our fingers entwined. They fit together perfectly, her small hand and my larger one. What a coincidence. 

We stopped at the monkey cages, where Scully remarked about animal cruelty and then about how cute that little baby in the corner was. That's my Scully. Always contradictory. 

But not my Scully, exactly. Like I've said before, I don't think of her that way. I really don't. Most of the time. 

"So we're looking for a bat with a star on his forehead, right, Fox?" Scully asked me as we entered the dark cave setting. 

"Yeah. But the sixty-four thousand dollar question is, which tank is he in?" There must have been ten glass tanks filled with bats, trees and other woodland scenery. 

"If any," my partner added, looking around. We were the only ones there, Scully, me and Jenna, who was hovering behind us. 

Far behind us, actually. Scully grinned gleefully. Jenna was scared and Scully would always have the upper hand when it came to our work, to the daring stuff, the stuff that would frighten the pants off of any normal person. 

I peered into the tank farthest from the entrance. Unorthodox thinking was my specialty, so I decided to work backwards. From last tank to the first. 

Jenna inspected the container farthest from Scully and I, but I could tell she wasn't looking at the bats. 

"She's watching us," I whispered into Scully's ear. As if on cue, she giggles, and smiled adoringly at me. What a doll, and she sure knows how to make Jenna wish she had never filed for divorce. 

She pulled me towards her, to where our lips were only centimeters apart. "I'm a better actress than you think." 

"I never doubted you, Scully." I murmured quietly, letting her body rest against mine. I can't say it didn't feel good. It felt incredible, there was no denying that, for either of us. 

"Now how good an actor are you?" 

Pressure, I work well under pressure, and there was no resisting a challenge, especially when Scully was the challenger. 

"Why don't you tell me?" 

Feeling Jenna's eyes on the back of my head, and I could no longer resist. Being this close to Scully caused it's own bit of wear and tear on one's self control. 

I kissed her, feeling her body respond favorably to me. Scully is my partner, my best friend, and now the woman wrapped in my arms, tenderly kissing me the way every man longs to be kissed. 

At that moment, the world as I know it, collapsed and I suspected Scully's world was going through similar shattering. Or at least I hope it was. 

I don't have to have eyes in the back of my head to know that Jenna was gaping open-mouthed from across the cave. 

Dana Scully kisses like no other. I have kissed more women that I'd care to count, but none of them kissed like Scully. The passion she has is immeasurable, it took me over, swallowing me whole. 

I don't know how long our kiss lasted, or who finally broke away when the time came. I only know that my life was altered forever. After being kissed by Dana Scully, no man's life can be the same. 

"And the Oscar goes to..." she said, and I kissed her again. 

"I'd like to thank the Academy, and Dana Scully, the woman who made me the actor I am today." 

She smiled that fantastic Scully-smile that she reserves only for me, only for times like these. Although there weren't any times quite like this one, until now. 

We pulled apart, standing next to each other once again. 

"You see any marks on them bats, Scully?" 

"Nope. You sure we're dealing with vampires, here, Mulder? And if we are, we have a date with one tonight, so I think we should go see something else. Besides bats creep me out." 

"You, Scully? Afraid of bats? I never would have thought..." We headed back to where Jenna was standing, still staring wide eyed at us. 

"Jenna, we decided that we would just wait for our double date tonight with our friendly neighborhood vampire." 

"Yeah, it looks like the two of you were doing a whole lot of talking over there," she said sarcastically. 

Scully smiled sweetly at me, and Jenna glared maliciously at her. 

I hadn't stopped grinning since Scully kissed me. What reason would I have to frown? 

"Seriously, Jenna," said Scully, back to business once more, "Your life is in danger, as are the lives of many others if this fiend is allowed to prevail. I know you don't like seeing me and Fox together, so I promise to try to withhold myself." 

Uh-oh. Was she trying to tell me to back off? I don't think so, I mean less than a minute ago, the woman was all over me. Or at least that's how I'd like to think about it. 

"Yeah, sorry about that, Jenn. I couldn't resist. Don't blame Dana." 

Only then did I notice that Scully and I were still holding hands. I dropped hers, for show, of course. Our number one priority was to keep Jenna safe, and I doubt the woman would have a whole lot of rationalism if I was busy drooling over my partner. 

Scully nodded. She understood. 

"Oh, of course not, Mulder. You could never keep your hands off other women." 

I was sick of this. Sick of the kick-the-Mulder game. That woman was aggravating beyond belief and she needed to know it. 

"We're not married anymore, Jenna. I know I made some mistakes, but so did you. I'm sick and tired of you blaming me for everything that's gone wrong in your life. Plenty of things have gone wrong in mine too, but that's just life. That's the way things work. There are good times, and there are bad times. Deal with it. You can't keep running away from your problems." 

Scully looked at me with a newfound respect. I always knew she respected me, but this reverence was a new thing. 

Jenna made no move to respond, only to leave, as she had done so many times in the past. 

"Yes!" Scully's hoot of triumph echoed throughout the cave, as she and I exchanged high fives. 

* * *

"You look lovely, Dana," Mulder said to me as we entered the fancy restaurant. We weren't alone, however, that wasn't the plan. We were walking with Jenna and her date, Ricky Phelam, our christened vampire. He sure had the facial characteristics for Mulder's accusation. 

The man was uncharacteristically pale, his hair blacker than a ravens' feathers. His face was almost diamond- shaped, his eyes mere slits beneath bushy eyebrows. His teeth, however are what gave him away, even to me, the skeptic. His canine teeth are unusually long and sharp, although they were a healthy shade of white. And there was a faint star shaped scar on his forehead, oddly conspicuous 

"Thank you, Fox. So do you," I replied. And he did. That man really cleaned up nice. All of the sudden, I could imagine Mulder in a tux, at a wedding, although I no longer wanted to. Unless of course it was... No. Not going there. 

"Well, Mr. Phelam, what do you do for a living?" Mulder asked, keeping up the conversation. Any talk so far had been strained. Jenna seemed nervous and tense, and several times had Ricky asked her what was the matter. Unlike the two of us, Mulder's ex wasn't much of an actress. 

"Please, call me Ricky. I'm an author." 

I shuddered. The last author I met tried to rip my heart out of my chest. Not a pleasant experience, trust me on this one. 

"Anything I'd know?" This conversation was all too familiar, too similar to one Mulder and I had had with Philip Padgett, the psycho author I mentioned. Mulder has a theory that he wrote me to him, that the only reason I went to him was because he wrote it to be so. The thing that saved me, he said, was when Padgett burned his piece of crap manuscript. 

"I doubt it." 

He glanced at me, and then realizing where my thoughts must be leading me, slipped his hand into mine, squeezing gently, as if to say, 'This is different, it'll be okay. I promise," 

The waiter led us to a small, intimate table in the back The four of us, much to my dismay, but that was the plan. Eat, let Ricky pay for our dinner, and then jam a stake through his heart, hopefully turning him into a great big pile of dust. The operative word being hopefully. 

The group remained silent for a while, looking over the menus that we'd been handed. 

Once I had decided on the fettuccini Alfredo, I looked to Mulder, waiting for some sign to put our plan into action. His face read, Not yet, and I abided, anxiously awaiting the time to come. 

The waiter returned, a stodgy looking man with a pencil-thin mustache, and took our orders. Mulder ordered a steak, medium well-done, his usual. Ricky ordered the same thing, while Jenna ordered a measly salad. 

"So, Fox, what do you do for a living?" Ricky asked, taking a stab at small talk. 

"Call me Mulder if you don't mind, and I, uh..." He looked at me for help, and got none. "I, uh, sell insurance." 

"Oh really? My life insurance policy is running out, maybe after dinner you could read me your company's quotes." Oh, if dear little Ricky only knew the irony. Mulder sure was going to do something about that, no doubt. 

"Yes, and Dana's a doctor. A very good doctor, I might add. There have been more times than I can count where she's used her medical knowledge to save my life." He smiled proudly at me, only the two of us knowing how much truth lay in his statement. 

"And you're in insurance?" The man was too doubting for even my liking. 

"We travel a lot," I explained, not completely lying, "and Fox likes the more dangerous adventures," We shared a private smile, remembering our trip to the Antarctic and how both of us nearly died. Yeah, Mulder is particularly fond of danger. 

"I thought he liked people to call him Mulder." 

"Yeah, well, not with me. It's, uh, different," I said. 

Mulder almost burst out laughing, knowing fully well that the only thing anybody called him was Mulder, with the exception of my mother, who always called him by his first name. 

"Her mother calls me Fox, too," he voiced, just as though he was reading my very thoughts. 

Jenna looked at us like we were crazy. Or maybe in love, who knew? Yikes, the "L" word again. With each passing day, it was frequenting my vocabulary more and more. 

Our food arrived shortly, and, I decided to make some trouble for a certain undead monster. 

"Excuse me, sir. I'd like a piece of garlic bread to go with my pasta." 

"Yes, ma'am," the waiter said, hurrying off. The restaurant was busy that evening. 

Mulder's eyes widened when he comprehended what I was doing, and then he just beamed, proud of his protg. He had taught me to think like him, to accept the paranormal as an adventure. As if it was our job to explain the unexplained. 

I saw Ricky's already pallid face etiolate when he heard the word 'garlic' and I no longer had doubts about this man's origin. He had come straight from the mountains of Transylvania. Either that or from the shrewd mind of Bram Stoker. 

Stressed discussion accompanied our good food, and before I knew it, dinner was over, and Ricky was calling for the check. 

"Excuse us, please," Mulder said, "I'd like to talk to Dana alone for a minute." 

I got up from my seat at the table to escort Mulder into the empty lobby where we could talk quietly and privately. 

"Okay, Scully, you ready?" I nodded. 

"Yeah. Are you?" 

He ignored my question and continued. "Do you have your stake and cross?" 

I opened my handbag so he could see the two objects he had mentioned. 

"And you checked in your mirror?" 

"I did," I confirmed, "No reflection." I had been forced to check my lipstick several times during dinner, each time conveniently facing the mirror toward our suspect. 

"Okay, then we get them out here, you get Jenna out of the way, and I stake her fiance. If I miss, you bring out the holy water and splash him, got it?" 

"Yes, sarge." I saluted him, which I can only imagine, must have looked rather funny, since I was in a long black evening gown meant for first class dining. 

"Let's go, I think they're waiting." He took my hand, and started to lead me back to the table. 

"Wait, Mulder." He stopped. I took my hand away from him, and reached up to my neck. I unclasped my gold cross necklace, and fastened it around his neck. I had to stand on my tiptoes to reach him. Sometimes I really hate being short. 

"To ward off the vampires," I whispered softly, letting my hands linger. 

We were walking back, but Jenna and Ricky met us halfway. I suspect she was as anxious to get this over with as I was. I could only imagine how hard it must be for her, losing both of the men she cared about in one day. First she lost Mulder to me in the zoo this morning, and now this. The poor woman is going to go insane before the week is over. 

We exited the restaurant, two smiling couples, although it wouldn't stay that way for long. This had better not take forever. I still had those baseball tickets, and the game starts in an hour. Oh, yeah, Mulder doesn't know about them yet. Whoops. 

* * *

**OUTSIDE "MORTONS"**

5:45 PM 

I stood there, watching my life collapse around me. Mulder was gone, I no longer had power over him. He was with her now, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. And I just stood, watching my fiance being staked by my ex-husband. My past was killing my future. It wasn't a pretty sight. Especially when I witnessed my Ricky turn into a woman right before my eyes. 

Mulder and that Scully woman work well together, I'll give them that. He staked, she worked the holy water, he staked again, she ran after Ricky with a piece of wood the size of a baseball bat until he ran into Mulder's wooden picket.. 

It worked though. My boyfriend can now fit in a wine glass. And I think the engagement's off. Either that or we'll have to register as Mr. and Mrs. Big-Pile-Of-Dust. I don't think that's an option. 

What I'm going to do from here, I don't know. Maybe I'll go back to New York, maybe Los Angeles. Hell, I don't care, I just want to get out. Then again, there was this really cute guy on the L (a big train in Chicago for those of you who don't know) that I saw last week... 

* * *

**WRIGLEY FIELD**

**1ST ROW NEAR THE CUBS' DUGOUT**

8:00 PM 

Scully really surprises me sometimes, this being one of them. That woman never ceases to amaze me. First, she saves my ass, running at Patrick Phelam with a tree branch, and then she pulls out two front row tickets to see the Cubs-Dodgers game. Women are creatures of mystery, I never did understand them 

So there we were, in our formal wear, drinking beer and eating hotdogs, her cheering for the Cubs, and me for the Dodgers. It was a Kodak moment. 

"Alright Sammy!" she hollered, as Sammy Sosa belted out his third homerun of the night, and it was only the 5th inning. Yeah, I picked the losing team again. What a surprise. 

I grumbled a response, saying something like the ever classic "Wait till next year" 

She smiled at me, and then threw the beer from her cup in my face. Like I said, at no time does she catch me on guard. There's always something else I discover about her. Including this new love of baseball. I'd like to think I had something to do with that. 

"Hey! No fair!" I did the same with my cup. We were both drenched in an alcoholic substance, and I'm sure my best suit was ruined, but I didn't care. I didn't care if a cow dropped out of the sky and landed on the pitchers' mound that very moment. I don't even think I'd notice. Scully had me captivated. 

She was beautiful, even soaked with beer and dressed in eveningwear. 

"Stop staring, Mulder. Put your tongue back in your mouth," she reprimanded playfully, knowing what kind of response she could expect on her last comment. 

"Or I could put it in yours, Scully." 

"Nice try, Mulder, but no go. Not now." Her eyes twinkled as she talked, holding unspoken promises for later. 

Oh yeah, baseball is definitely my sport, and tonight I'm batting 1000. 

* * *

Medical Note: I know that Scully couldn't have healed so quickly, but oh well. It's fanFICTION so that means I'm entitled to cure her as fast as I want to. LOL. 

Author's Note: All places mentioned in Chicago actually exist. The Lincoln Park Zoo is one of my favorite places to visit.   
  


#### If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Caroline McKenna


End file.
